Apparatus for priming engines



F. D. swan. APPARATUS FOR PRHMNG ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 12. 1917.

I Patented Aug. 24, 1920.

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FREDERICK 1). SWEET, or CLEVELAND, OHIO.

APPARATUS FOR PRIMING ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent; Patented 24 1920.

Application filed July 12, 1917. Serial No. 1803031.

orimin an en ine. The olo'ect of the inl b 23 vention is to provide anapparatus which may be operated from the dash of the vehicle, and whilepriming to heat the fluid'fuel as it passes from the priming cup.

A further object is to provide an apparatus of the kind which is simpleof construction and reliable in its action.

Generally speaking, the invention may be said to comprise the elementsand combinations thereof set forth in the accompanying claims;

Reference should be had'to the accompanying drawing, forminga part ofthis specification, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion of avehicle upon which the apparatus of my invention is employed; Fig. 2 isa vertical section through the priming cup and the adjuncts thereto;Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view transversely of the priming cup. 7

The practice of priming an engine for the purpose of starting thereof istoo old and well understood at this time to require any explanation, andthe present invention is a carrying forward of that'idea in a mannerthat permits the priming to be accomplished from where the driver of thecar is sitting, and also provides a signal by which the driver may knowthat the priming apparatus is working, and in addition to all theforegoing, heats the fluid fuel as it passes from the priming cup to theengine, therebyincreasing its ability to ignite.

In the drawing, the engine is indicated at 1 and. the manifold thereofat 2. Mounted upon the manifold is the priming cup proper which isgenerally referred to at The priming cup comprises a casing 4 forming acontainer within which is a float 5, which is provided with acentral rodor stem 6. The float in its movement is guided by a frame 7 which iswithin the body 4.

At the lower end the container 4 has an opening which receives a pipe orconducting member 8, which has a seat 9 at the upper portion thereofwith which seat a ball 10 cooperates. This ball 10 is carried by thelower end of the rod 6 and the ball acts as a valve to open and closethe passageway through the conducting member 8. u Surrounding theconducting member 8 and incased in any suitable manner, as by a portion4 of the casing 4, is an electrical resistance element 11, which isthoroughly insulated. from the casing. This element 11 surrounds theconduit 8 and thoroughly andv completely heats the conduit whenelectrical energy issupplied to the coil 11. Fitting in the lower partof the conduit 8 ma pipe 12. This pipe at the portion which cooperateswith the conduit 8 is held in proper relation by means of a nut 13.

- The pipe 12 telescopes with a pipe 14 which is also of nonconductingmaterial, and the pipe 14 has a head portion which seats within asuitable opening to cooperate with a head nut 15, the pipe 14 being'heldto the nut 15 by means of a nut 16; The head nut 15 has an openingextending through it, and has a threaded portion 15 which is adapted tobe threaded into the manifold of an engins. Within the head nut 15 thereis a chamber in which there is a ball 17,'which controlsthe passagewaythrough the head nut 15. This ball is spring-held by a spring indicatedat 18, and the spring is held in place by a threaded plug 19, which willbe clear from the drawing. It will be apparent that the valve 17 willoperate to open upon a suction stroke of the engine. Preferably the nut15 is insulated from the part of the engine on which it is mounted.

The coil 11 cooperates with a terminal post 20 which is secured to thecasing 4 and passes through a bushing 21 which is of insulatingmaterial. The coil 11 is electrically grounded. to the casing 4. v

The upper end of the casing 4 is closed by a cover 21 which is ofinsulating material. In the cover there is an inner terminal mem her 22which is in direct line with the movement of the rod 6 so that as thefloat 5 may rise the rod 6 may come into contact with {the terminal 22.This terminal extends upon the outside of the cover, and thcreisprovided a thumb nut 23 for engaging and'holding a conductor. 1 It willbe apparent from the foregoing description that as the float rises andthe'rod 6 comes in contact with the terminal 22, an electric circuit isclosed through the coil and through the rod 6 which circuit is'energizedfrom an external circuit, such as the battery circuit of an automobile,which automobile circuit is connected to the portions 20 and 23 whichhave just been described.

- The cover 21 is provided with an opening 2a with which communicates apipe 25. This pipe 25 communicates with the outer end of a pump 26, theintake side being connected by a pipe 27 with a source of gasolenesupply, as indicated at 28. hen the pump is operated, it will pumpgasolene through the pipe 25 to the receptacle 4, and when suflicientgasolenc has been thus pumped the float 5 will rise, opening thepassageway from the receptacle 4- through the heating tube 8, until thegasolene reaches the valve 17, which will be opened as previouslyexplained upon the suction stroke of the en gine.

r In the electrical circuit which includes the heating coil 11, the rod(3, and the terminal members 20 and 23, there is placed a lamp 29, whichlamp, inasmuch as it is in circuit with the various instrumentalitieswhich have been mentioned, will become lighted when the circuit isclosed by the rising of the float This lamp is placed upon the dashboardof a vehicle, and it forms a signal to notify the operator that thepriming device is Working.

As previously explained, the heating coil 11 becomes effective when thecircuit is closed-by this rise of the float 5. Consequently, the rise ofthe float 5 not only permits the gasolene to pass through the heatingcoil, but by closing the circuit and causing the lamp 29 to light it isindicative that the heating coil 11 is in working order.

Having described my invention,I claim 1. The combination with aninternal combustion engine of a priming device comprising a receptacleadapted to be mounted adjacent the engine and in communication with thefuel supply for the engine, means for controlling said communication, avalve controlling the outlet from said receptacle, a float within thereceptacle said float being operatively connected with the valve wherebyas fluid fuel is supplied to the receptacle the float will rise and openthe valve.

2. The combination with an internal combustion engine of a primingdevice comprising a receptacle adapted to receive fluid fuel, saidreceptacle being adapted .to be mounted adjacent the engine and incommunication with the fuel supply for'the engine, means for controllingsaid communication, said receptacle having an outlet, a valvecontrolling said outlet, a float Within the receptacle said float beingoperatively connected with the valve, means for supplying an electriccurrent to pass through the valve stem, a terminal mounted upon thecasingwith which the valve stem may cooperate as it rises, thereby to.close the circuit, and an electrically operated signaling device in thebeforementioned circuit which becomes operative when the cirried by thefloat a contact member carried said contacts engaging by the receptacle,

rise of the float, an elecupon the sufficient -trical circuit whichincludes the said contact members said circuit being closed when thecontact members engage, an electrically operated signaling deviceincluded in the said circuit which becomes operative upon the closing ofthe circuit. r

l. The combination with an internal combustion engine of a primingdevice comprising a receptacle adapted to receive fluid fuel and adaptedto-be mounted adjacent the engine and in communication with the fuelsupply for the engine, means for controlling said communication, anoutlet from the said receptacle, a valve controlling the outlet, a floatWithin the receptacle, a rod upon which the said valve is mounted andconnected to.

the float, a contact member carried by the receptacle and in line withthe said rod, a circuit of which the rod and the contact member are apart said circuit being closed by the engagement of the rod and contactmember and an electrically operated signaling device forming a part ofthe said circuit and operated when the said circuit 1S closed.

5. The combination with an internal combustion engine of a primingdevice comprising a receptacle adapted to receive fluid fuel and adaptedto be mounted adjacent the engine and inconnection with the fuel supplyfrom the engine, means for controlling said communication, an outletforthe said recep= tacle, a valve controlling the outlet, a float withinthe receptacle said float being operatively connected with the valve, aconduit leading from 'the outlet of the receptacle, means forelectrically heating said conduit, a contact member carried by thefloat, a contact member carried by the receptacle the said electricalheating means and said contacts forming part of a circuit fsaid circuitbeing closed when the contacts engage. V

6. The combination "with an internalcomibustion engine of a primingdevice compris ing a receptacle adapted to receive fluid fuel and alsoadapted to be mounted adjacent the .engine and in communication with thefuel supply for the'engine, means'for con trolling said communication,said receptacle having an outlet, a valve controlling the outlet, afloat within the receptacle said float being operatively connected withthe valve, a fuel conducting conduit cooperating with the outlet fromthe receptacle,-means for electrically heating said conduit, a contactcarried by the float, a contact member carried by the receptacle, thesaid contacts and electrical heating means forming a part of a circuitwhich is closed when the contacts carried by the float and thereceptacle are in engagement, and an electrically operated signalingdevice which is included in the aforesaid circuit and becomes operativewhen the said circuit is closed.

7. The combination with an internal combustion engine of a primingdevice comprising a receptacle mounted adjacent the engine and inconnection with the fuel supply for the engine, a pump for supplyingfuel to said priming receptacle said receptacle having an outlet, avalve controlling the outlet of the said fuel from said receptacle, afloat within the said receptacle said float being operatively connectedwith the valve whereby when the fluid fuel is pumped to the re ceptaclethe float will rise and open the valve.

8. The combination with an internal combustion engine of a primingdevice comprising a receptacle adapted to be mounted adj acent theengine and in communication with the fuel su 31 forthe en ine a um) v PY a: P

to supply fuel to said priming receptacle said receptacle having anoutlet, a valve-controlling the outlet from said receptacle, a floatwithin the receptacle said float being operatively connected with thevalve, a conducting conduit associated with the outlet of thereceptacle, an electrical heating coil associated with said conduit, acontact member carried by the float and a contact member a11'1'ied bythe receptacle, a circuit including the electrical heating means, andthe aforesaid contacts said circuit being closed by the engagement ofthe contacts, an electrically operated signaling device included in thesaid circuit which becomes operative when the circuit is closed.

9. The combination with an internal combustion engine of a primingdevice comprising a receptacle adapted to receive fluid fuel saidreceptacle being adapted to be mounted adjacent the engine and incommunication with the fuel supply for the engine, means for controllingsaid communication said receptacle having an outlet said outletcommunicating with the engine, a valve controlling the said outlet, afloat within the receptacle said float being operatively connected withthe valve, an electrically operated signaling device, a pair of contactmembers which are adapted to be moved to contact position by the rise ofthe float within valve controlling the said outlet and float within thereceptacle said float being operatively connected with the valve, a pairof contacts within the receptacle said contacts being brought intoengaging position by the rise of the float, an electrically operatedheating means associated with the receptacle, a circuit including thesaid heating means and the contacts whereby the electric heating meansis energized when the c011- tacts are closed.

11. In an apparatus for priming an engine, a receptacle mounted adjacentthe engine said receptacle having an outlet which communicates with thefuel supply to the engine, a pump for supplying fuel to said primingreceptacle, a valve controlling the outlet of said fuel from the saidreceptacle, a

float within the receptacle said float being operatively connected withthe valve whereby when the fluid fuel is pumped into the receptacle thefloat rising to open the valve, a pair of contacts within thereceptacle, said contacts being moved to closed position by the rise ofthe float, an electric heating means associated with the saidreceptacle, a circuit including the said contacts, andthe electricalheating means whereby when the float rises and closes the contacts theheating means is operated.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

FREDERICK D. SWEET.

